Double celebration for Benalla as growing corps ‘returns home’
- deansimpson7
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
BY LERISSE SMITH
It took 14 years of planning – but it was well worth the wait.
When Benalla Corps flung open its doors and switched on the lights for the grand reopening of its revitalised, expanded facilities in Victoria earlier this month, it marked not just a major milestone but also 140 years of unwavering service to the local community.
“We are wonderfully excited about returning home,” said Captain Ben Anderson, Corps Officer at Benalla.
“Our excitement comes from recognising that God has been at work amongst us all this time. The corps has not been still waiting for facilities to be completed to move as God leads.”
The weekend of 4-5 October became a double celebration for the corps community with Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Territorial Commander, officially opening the new premises to the glory of God, and Ringwood Citadel Band presenting a special concert to commemorate 140 years of The Salvation Army in Benalla. A historical display provided a meaningful backdrop to the event.
The new expanded facility is set to significantly extend the corps’ reach into the community.
Food relief, case work and community gatherings are now offered three days each week in the new premises. New shower and laundry amenities provide vital support and an option for people experiencing homelessness and in emergency situations. A purpose-built space streamlines food deliveries. This year, the corps will also host its Christmas Cheer program in partnership with the Tomorrow Today Foundation and Ray White Benalla.
Ben’s wife, Captain Jaimee Anderson, said the buzz of excitement from the community was palpable.
“There was a lot of joy, a lot of excitement from the community about looking around and seeing the new facilities,” she said, adding that several local groups had shown interest in partnering with the corps.
Vision for the future
But behind the celebration lay years of perseverance and planning.
Back in 2011, Benalla Corps purchased 83 Bridge St West, the property adjacent to the corps hall. At the time, the corps was growing beyond the capacity of the current hall opened in 1991. Known as the ‘Mission House’, it became a hub for children’s ministries, small groups, women’s and men’s groups, prayer and meditation.
Yet the Mission House was only ever a stopgap.
A redevelopment vision for the site included adding a new worship hall and reconfiguring the current hall for various other ministries.
However, those plans stalled unexpectedly due to pressing needs of other corps, shifting divisional boundaries, changes in officership and a plateau in the corps’ growth.
(Left) A historical display of Benalla Corps’ 140-year history provided a meaningful backdrop to the two-day celebratory event. (Right) Getting into the spirit of the special occasion was Benalla soldier Helen Daldy, who dressed in traditional women’s Army uniform in keeping with the celebration of the corps’ 140th anniversary.
A turning point came under the leadership of Captains Rachel and Sean Attard, when the Doorways model of emergency relief began at Benalla. Food relief services moved from the Thrift Shop into the corps building, and case work began – laying a foundation for a new ministry direction and setting Benalla on a path towards the newly launched facility.
In 2018, as newly commissioned officers, Jaimee and Ben began their corps officer roles with the aim of putting into practice the learnings gained from their officer training.
“Two pieces of advice stood out to us: find the heart of the corps – what drives them and motivates them and excites them; and get to know your community and find out their pressing needs,” Ben reflected.
“Early in our time here, we discerned that Doorways ministry was at the heart of the corps; and that the community around us was in desperate need of a safe, welcoming space where people felt like they belonged.”
Energised by that clarity, they hit the ground running with a bold idea in their first few weeks as officers. They proposed turning the Mission House into a drop-in space and a place to strengthen their Doorways food relief and case work activities. This idea became another important driver of the building project.
But translating a vision into reality proved challenging.
A 2019 property audit flagged limitations with the building for the drop-in space, and renovations were deemed too costly for a site with limited longevity. Then COVID-19 struck. Together with lockdowns and social distancing rules, the Mission House programs ceased, prompting serious discussions about building a new space.
Homeward bound
But then came good news: initial funding was approved in December 2020 with construction finally beginning in October 2024. Benalla Corps moved its ministry to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church until the redevelopment was completed.
And there was much excitement about returning home.
Ben said not only had God been at work among the corps during the redevelopment, but they moved as God led them.
Testament to this was that the drop-in space idea never left them, with the idea of a Sanctuary bearing great fruit when the Doorways model of care changed once again.
“Suddenly, an activity that had perhaps 15 people come each week had 60, then 70, then 80 people attending across two sessions a week,” he said.
“When we moved out of 85 Bridge St West, around 90 people attended Sanctuary each week – bring on the new building! We expected that our time away from home may see a shrinking of our congregation. God had other plans. In a smaller space, our Sanctuary attendance has averaged over 100 people in the past few months.
“On Monday, September 22 (this year), 71 people came through our doors in two and a half hours, some to get food, others for case work, some simply to have a coffee and a friendly chat or play a game. The safe space for community is no longer a vision – it’s a reality.”
The time away also sparked new ideas.
New worship formats emerged, including a weekly community table called ‘Food for Thought’ – a lunchtime gathering where people explore life’s deeper questions through the lens of faith and how they might connect with Jesus. One Sunday a month became ‘Family Fun Sunday’, with kids and adults learning together about God through activities and storytelling.
“God has brought some of these folk into our congregation every Sunday since,” Ben remarked. “We give God all the glory and praise, celebrating that he has primed us for filling this brand-new building! We look forward to all God has in store for us.”
Ringwood Citadel Band were the special musical guests for the Benalla weekend.
The corps already has ideas for expanding its reach into the community, he added, with activities that range from explicitly Christian to broadly community-oriented – yet all seeking the holistic transformation of lives that Salvos believe comes from the love of Jesus.
“Our hope is that it’s a holistic approach that we are trying to take by providing a safe space for folk to come in where they can have a free coffee, something to eat, a conversation, play a game, see our case manager, or talk with our chaplain,” Jaimee explained.
“That they are able to build relationships and see that they are cared for in more ways than just in a material aid sense.”
And part of the excitement ahead lies in continuing to welcome everyone – a hallmark of the Benalla community.
There is great hope that the corps’ new large multi-purpose space will act as a unifying hub.
“Everybody owns that space,” said Jaimee. “And everybody can come together in that one room and feel that belonging and ownership in that space.”
Click through the slideshow below for more photos of the weekend celebrations:
